Using dumbbells instead of barbells will help correct your muscular imbalances and actually make you a stronger athlete overall. When lifting with dumbbells you have to control the weight in many more "planes of movement" than when using a barbell.

Using a barbell, you are controlling the weight in an up and down direction, as well as forward and backward directions. However, because of the barbell, there is little control in a left and right plane of movement. Your hands cannot move away from each other.

Using dumbbells you have to control the weight in all the same planes of movement as the barbell, as well as the left-to-right plane of movement. Each hand must be controlled individually. Using heavy dumbbells ensures a greater recruitment of muscle fibers, working in a synergistic fashion to produce one straight line of force. This is the key aspect to functional strength and produces a greater "carry-over" effect to sports specific strength.

For every exercise you can use a barbell, substitute with dumbbells instead. However, the safety factor is now increased due to the increase in instability, so use a good spotter.